“I stumbled across Brion’s LSS4G book in my Non-Profit Management Class while in my Junior year at Appalachian State. My class was learning about B Corps, and we were given an assignment to choose from a list of books that focused on Non-profit management for a research paper.

Brion’s book was on that list, and happened to be the one that I chose to study.

After reading his book, I found his website, learned about his B Corp certification, and his business. I quickly contacted the number on BPI’s website, which happened to be Brion’s personal number. I left a voicemail regarding my interest in getting an internship in Portland, Oregon over the summer at BPI. My goal was to find an internship working for a certified B Corp business that focused on lean operations on the West Coast.

Brion called me back regarding a possible summer internship opportunity that he was thinking of starting at BPI. We emailed back and forth for the next few weeks, and solidified the details of the internship. By the middle of April, I started to make plans to drive 2,900 miles across the country from Boone, NC to Portland, OR to live on the West Coast over the summer! It took almost 5 days to get here, but that included stops in Colorado and Utah.

This internship at BPI ended up being the perfect opportunity for my Junior summer, and now I’m living in Portland!”

Teagen will be helping me improve my B Corp certification scores, evaluate my business operations, analyze data to help me increase product sales on my website, network with other B Corp companies and Supply Chain professionals in the area, and learn more about Lean and Six Sigma.

Having a summer intern was something I wanted, but I wasn’t actively seeking out one, and wasn’t quite sure what I would have them working on. I didn’t have anything posted on my site, or anything even mentioning my desire for an intern. The lesson for everyone is that it never hurts to ask for what you want.

Key Sustainability Projects

Book #2 released!

New book is now available!
Download the DIGITAL version. This book is being released chapter by chapter, highlighting individuals who have helped nonprofits make improvements. Two chapters have been completed.